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Tradition gets roaring start at Chinese New Year event
About 400 people turned out Saturday to usher in the Year of the Tiger.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Even the fortune cookie she munched on couldn’t hide the smile on the face of 7-year-old Olivia Kaminski.
And why shouldn’t she be so happy?
Olivia and her family were among about 400 people Saturday celebrating the Chinese New Year.
The Chinese New Year’s Eve event at the First Assembly of God Church here featured Chinese food, music and entertainment to celebrate the Year of the Tiger.
In August 2003, Scott and Karen Kaminski of New Castle adopted Olivia, born in China. In December 2004, the Kaminskis adopted Stephanie, who is now 10 and also was born in China.
“We love to come here,” said Scott, who, along with the rest of his family, wore traditional Chinese clothes to the event. “It allows the girls to experience their heritage. It’s great for them to learn the cultural aspects of where they came from. It’s about the culture and involving the kids.”
Olivia said her favorite part of the celebration is the lion dance in which two people wear a lion outfit, mimicking the animal’s movements.
The dance is supposed to scare away evil spirits and bring prosperity in the year to come, said Jack Guo of Boardman, secretary of the Chinese Association of the Greater Youngstown Area, which organized the event.
Olivia likes the dance because the lion “spits out candy.”
And when the lion did that, several children ran toward it to catch the candy.
Stephanie said she also loves the lion dance as well as the food and the chance to dress in traditional Chinese clothing.
“This event is all for the kids,” Karen Kaminski said. “You can see the wonder and amazement in their eyes.”
Jyhwa Teh of New Castle, past president of the local Chinese Association, said Chinese New Year’s Eve is a special day for families.
“We have dinner together with great food,” she said. “Then we continue the celebration with music, martial arts and tai chi demonstrations. We have Americans and Chinese people celebrating this major holiday together. It’s wonderful.”
The celebration’s goal is simply to “bring good friends together and give people a better understanding of China and its traditions,” Guo said.
Each year the Chinese New Year honors one of the 12 Chinese animal signs. This is the Year of the Tiger.
“The tiger is a holy animal in China,” Guo said. “It represents ambition, courage, success and power.”
skolnick@vindy.com